In 1632, a group of English colonists leaves St. Kitts to settle in Antigua.
Sir Christopher Codrington, an Englishman, establishes the first permanent European settlement.
From this point on, Antigua history takes a dramatic turn.
Codrington guides development on the island as a profitable sugar colony.
For a large portion of Antigua history, the island is considered Britain's "Gateway to the Caribbean".
It is located on the major sailing routes among the region's resource-rich colonies.
Lord Horatio Nelson, a major figure in Antigua history, arrives in the late 18th century to preserve the island's commercial shipping prowess.In 1967, with Barbuda and the tiny island of Redonda as dependencies, Antigua becomes an associated state of the Commonwealth, and in 1981 it is disassociated from Britain.
